


sit down beside me

by stainedglassbirds



Category: DuckTales (Cartoon 2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Avatar & Benders Setting, Angst, F/F, Guilt, Hurt/Comfort, Implied Crush, Scars, implied/referenced near death experiences
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-05
Updated: 2019-12-05
Packaged: 2021-02-26 04:42:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,665
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21677686
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stainedglassbirds/pseuds/stainedglassbirds
Summary: Webby still feels guilty sometimes, even if what she did saved Lena's life.
Relationships: Lena (Disney: DuckTales)/Webby Vanderquack
Comments: 4
Kudos: 99
Collections: Avatar Tales: A Ducktales AU





	sit down beside me

_Knock knock._ _  
_ _  
_ Webby looked up from the book she was reading. It was a story she picked up yesterday from the library, following the main character, a witch, in a setting without bending. Pretty action-packed, which kept her attention, and maybe it was just _her_ , but she could swear the two protagonists had heart eyes for each other.  
  
She sighed, almost dreamily, thinking about it. Romance wasn’t her favorite genre, but it was nice seeing an intimate relationship form.  
  
_Knock knock knock_. “Pink?” It was Lena’s voice.  
  
Webby jumped. Oh, yeah. “Come in!”  
  
The door creaked open, and there was Lena, peeking her head in through the doorway. She stepped in a little, glancing at Webby’s book. “Are you busy? I’m doing bending lessons with Louie in a sec, were using the pool this time, so, I thought you might wanna come, cause it could be nice.” Lena gestured her head out the door.  
  
There’s a hint of hesitation in Lena’s voice, like she’s worried Webby is going to reject the offer. As _if_. Webby wished Lena knew she’d drop anything just to spend time with her. “Yes! I’m not busy at all, it’s fine!”  
  
Webby placed down her book, _neatly_ , and not hurried or rushed at all, bounding over to Lena. And, _oh_.  
  
Lena did say they were using the pool, but for some reason Webby didn’t realize the implications behind it. Now, though, she could see Lena was wearing black boxers, plain, but with two symmetrical purple stripes on each side. She could see the tiny details on Lena more clearly, her chest scarred in a few places, and her body a bit small, but she was building muscle again.  
  
It was all very, very _Lena_ though in a way Webby felt like she hadn’t seen before, and she just looked… relaxed, and beautiful.  
  
Her heart was pounding, and Lena’s soft smile didn’t help the cause. She could feel an intense burning in her soul, blood rushing to her face, like fire was alive in her and consuming every piece, but it wasn’t bad. It wasn’t painful. It was alight with passion and joy and this _intense_ emotion Webby couldn’t quite describe other than wanting to see Lena like that forever.  
  
Woah, okay, cool the jets. Webby coughed, putting out the fire inside her as best she could before Lena would notice she was acting weird.  
  
“You can swim too if you want. Do you have a swimsuit?”  
  
Webby blinked. “Oh- uh, yeah, I have one! Maybe not yet though, I’m fine with just watching.”  
  
Lena began walking the familiar route to the pool. “Cool. Louie spouted some stuff about actually being in the water while bending, but I think this is partially an excuse to teach me how to swim.”  
  
“You don’t know how to swim?”  
  
Lena shrugged. “Not a lot of time to learn between everything that’s been going on, and my life sure didn’t have a lot of opportunities for _anything_ before I met you guys. Either way, useful skill. And it could help me incorporate more bending techniques.”  
  
Webby nodded, fidgeting with her hands as they walked outside into the bright sunlight of the afternoon.  
  
Louie was already in the pool, lazily floating around, wearing green swim trunks the same color as the hoodie he usually wore. Webby always thought it was cool how all of them, even her, were color-coded. Louie peeked an eye open once they arrived.  
  
“Hey Lena, Webs. You joining us too?”  
  
Webby smiled. “I’m fine just watching for now! It’s always cool seeing Lena practice.” She noticed Lena flush a little at that. Oh, Webby didn’t mean to embarrass her, it’s just Lena _is_ so cool. Watching how she moves, it’s almost like a new language.  
  
Louie gave a thumbs up, moving from his position to swim to the edge of the pool, waving Lena over. “Lesson number one in your training, learning how to _not_ drown.”  
  
Lena smiled. “Oh, people aren’t supposed to drown? Damn, I’ve already failed step one.”  
  
Webby couldn’t help but smile too, watching as Lena went to the edge of the pool next to Louie, sliding down into the water instead of using the stairs. Webby would have dive bombed, but she understands Lena isn’t that type of person.  
  
She listened to the chatter of their voices, sitting down on the concrete just at the edge, her legs in the water. Webby knew she could join them, maybe have even more fun, but she liked this. She liked seeing Lena like this. She just wanted to enjoy it for a bit longer.  
  
Louie was showing Lena some exercises right now, things Donald taught him and his siblings when they were younger. Webby learned how to swim around the same age, by Beakley, of course. She wasn’t _amazing_ at it but she considered herself to have fairly good skills. It’s come in handy on a few particular exciting adventures, but mostly, it’s just something fun to do. At least when she learned to take things less seriously. It was weird thinking back on that period in her life before the triplets, even when she first met them she took her duties as being their guard responsibly.  
  
They all protected each other, now. They’re siblings. It made Webby feel nice, having the assured knowledge she could be their sister, when all she wanted for years was a family.  
  
Webby hummed, kicking her legs as she let her thoughts take her, watching Louie and Lena, the latter having her back turned as Louie-  
  
as.  
  
Oh.  
  
Her happy mood suddenly felt crushed, every thought torn away as only _one_ was shoved up to the forefront of her mind..  
  
Lena’s scar.  
  
The scar, sitting prominently on her back, a small, burnt, scar, the shape of a hand.  
  
The scar _Webby_ made.  
  
The one she had to make, the time when she had to hurt Lena to save her own life, and she still remembered the _heat_ on her left hand, the awful sizzling sound of cracking skin as she pressed it onto Lena’s bloody back because it _wouldn’t stop bleeding_ , she was going to _die_ , _Webby couldn’t let her die_.  
  
Webby inhaled sharply, and she couldn’t- she couldn’t do this, she couldn’t stare at the scar for a second longer. Some days it was okay, some days she felt so consumed by guilt because even though her left hand saved Lena she still felt like she hurt her.  
  
She's never, _ever_ , wanted to hurt Lena.  
  
Webby stood up, her head dizzying. Before the world re-orientated herself, she babbled out a quick excuse about needing to lay down.  
  
She left before she could hear a response.  
  
-  
  
Webby flopped onto her bed, exhaustion draining her bones, and she buried herself into her pillow. Tears were pricking at the corners of her eyes, and she wiped them away, feeling vaguely upset when they only returned again.  
  
She didn’t understand why she was so upset about this. She knows she saved Lena, so _why_ did it feel so bad? Why did remembering hurt so much? Silly enough it felt like those zombie shows she’d see, when someone would get infected and the group would have to chop off the bitten part.  
  
It kind of felt like that. Do something good, and help everyone in the end, but the feeling of actually doing it… it didn’t feel heroic. It didn’t feel good at all.  
  
Webby curled into her pillow further, shuffling under her blankets as she wrapped herself into a cocoon. Maybe she could turn into a butterfly. They didn’t have to deal with bending. She could just lay here forever and not think about anything.  
  
There was a light knock on the door.  
  
Webby wrapped herself tighter.  
  
The door opened, just a bit, and Webby could barely hear footsteps hesitantly walk through the room, a pressure settling down on her bed. She knew who it was.  
  
“Webby?” Lena asked. Her voice was soft, gentle, and it made Webby’s heart melt every time.  
  
Webby grunted in response, turning herself so she could see Lena through her blanket cave. She was back in her regular clothes. Lena looked worried, her expression down turned. Lena’s gaze was soft, and Webby knew it was an invitation to talk, or for her to back out.  
  
Sometimes, she chose the latter, when she couldn’t explain her feelings, or she was tired, or it hurt too much. This time, though, Webby sat up, stretching out her blankets with an arm and gesturing Lena to come into the hold. Lena shuffled over, pressing up against Webby’s side, a comforting heat radiating from her.  
  
Webby rested her head onto Lena’s shoulder, taking in a moment just to breathe.  
  
She exhaled softly. “I still feel guilty, sometimes. Seeing it. And, when we were at the pool, and your back was turned, and it was _right there_ , sometimes it just feels like too much.” Webby held out her left hand, staring at it. “I just wish I didn’t have to do it.”  
  
Lena turned towards her, their chests pressing together, and Lena was staring at her with so much concern and _forgiveness_ Webby felt like crying, suddenly. Lena was opening her mouth and Webby knew she was going to reassure her, and she appreciated Lena so, so much but this time she wanted her to know it was okay. This time she wanted to be okay.  
  
“Webby, it’s-”  
  
Webby reached forward, wrapping her hand around Lena’s back and gently overlaying her hand on a certain spot, in the same position she had a month ago, when fire was at her fingertips, but now there was only warmth.  
  
Lena gasped, ever so softly.  
  
“I’m okay now.” Webby whispered, just loud enough for Lena to hear. Slowly, she wrapped her other arm around, hugging her tightly and before a second passed Lena was already hugging her back, the hold strong and comforting and Webby never wanted to let go.  
  
“It’s okay.”


End file.
